Recurly

Subscriptions have been a part of the online reading experience for as long as your newsfeed has been around. As the world continuously moves further into the digital space, more and more content creators and online publications have opted for recurring billing options. With this strategy, you can build relationships with customers in an online space that most modern readers are already familiar with. As this relationship grows, so does the lifetime value for each customer. Here are some of the most important benefits you can offer your readers by providing subscription options that they might not get from other publications. An Added Sense of Exclusivity for Readers First and foremost, a subscription option gives your customers access to exclusive content. Whereas free articles or stories might be accessible to everyone, your select publications aren’t. This exclusivity adds a sense of intrigue for non-subscribers and a feeling of pride for your current subscribers. You know your c

As a subscription-based business, the key to sustainable growth is providing value to your customers. That way, they always want to renew their subscription and keep using your service or products. One way to provide value is through bundled offerings. There are many ways to bundle your subscriptions, but it should always be done with the customer in mind. How are you providing more bang for their buck? Does this bundle give them more of what they want? Here are three ideas for bundles that can provide more value to your customers with the help of the right subscription management platform. Bundles that Enhance Your Product Enhancing bundles are like visiting a restaurant that provides their sauce and seasoning options on your table. It allows you to make the main course fit your exact taste. Similarly, you can offer a subscription bundle that includes services or products that may not warrant an entire subscription on their own but work great as add-ons and bonuses to your primary

Congratulations! You have a new customer who is ready to sign up for a subscription. The next step in their journey is providing all the information you need to get their subscription up and running. From pricing tiers and custom plans to name, address, and payment details, the sign-up process can often feel time-consuming and sometimes confusing. You don’t want to lose your new customer at this stage, so you must create a smooth sign-up process. Your recurring billing model means it’s important to maintain a positive relationship with your subscribers, and signing up for a subscription is the first step in developing that connection. Here are four tips for creating a smooth sign-up flow for your new customers. Keep a Progress Bar at the Top of Each Page This may seem simple, but it is a feature that can instantly help build the relationship between your business and a new subscriber. A progress bar that shows how far along the customer is in the sign-up process and how far they hav

When customers aren’t given incentives to stay engaged, their active subscription can soon become a canceled subscription. To understand ways your company can improve its services or offerings, you might ask recently canceled customers to fill out a quick survey. It also gives you a chance to offer a special deal to get them reengaged. Your “churn rate,” or the rate at which you lose subscribers, can often be improved simply by alleviating common customer concerns. To help your churn calculation return positive results, try offering deals to help retain subscribers. If one of these deals helps address their primary concern, they can be more likely to stick around. A Discounted Subscription Price for the Next Three Months The most straightforward problem can also be the easiest to solve. If your customer’s biggest issue is the price, a short-term discounted price is a great way to keep them on board. The duration of this price all depends on your product and its original price. Three

If your company wants to craft a subscriber experience that helps you create “forever customers,” every new subscriber’s first impression is incredibly important. When a new customer subscribes to your business, it is essential that their initial interaction with your company makes them want to stick around as an engaged subscriber. A comprehensive subscription management and billing platform can help you make a great introduction. After all, first impressions are everything. With that said, there are a few mistakes you’ll want to keep in mind to avoid making the wrong impression on new subscribers. Steer clear of these three mistakes to cultivate a positive subscriber journey. Lacking a User-Friendly Onboarding Process No matter what industry you are in, you need a user-friendly onboarding process for new subscribers. It’s never too early to help customers understand the ins and outs of their new subscription. Your welcome email is a great place to include a step-by-step process wit

Loyalty is crucial in any subscription-based business. The world of recurring billing is focused on keeping and retaining loyal customers. Subscribers who connect with your business in a meaningful way are less likely to let cards expire and subscription renewals fail. Loyalty also translates to higher customer lifetime value. But how do you build this loyalty? By following these three steps, you can help create loyal customers and increase the lifetime value of your subscription plans.  Create an Onboarding Plan to Start on the Right Foot Onboarding is your first step to delivering the value you promised before your subscriber hit purchase. It’s your first and best tactic to drive repeat purchase—onboarding has the highest correlation to retention and it’s all about driving engagement. Say you’re a gym and you succeed when your customers see results, keeping them returning to the gym and renewing every month. Your onboarding journey may consist of a welcome email, a sur

As a subscription-based company, your business is centered around one thing: your loyal subscribers. You want to gain as many subscribers as possible, but the inevitable result is that every company implementing recurring billing strategies will have customers who end their subscriptions. This is what’s known as “churn.” You can’t keep 100% of your customers—some subscriptions simply come to an end. However, if you understand churn and its effect on your business, you can keep these cancellations to a minimum. Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know to keep your churn percentage as low as possible. The Basics: What Is Churn? Churn sounds like a scary thing to happen to your business, but it isn’t. Put simply, churn is the percentage of canceled subscriptions you company receives in a certain amount of time. That time frame is up to you when you are making your calculations. Calculating your churn rate allows you to see how many customer subscriptions ended in